Scouring pad



R. D. PARRY March 25, 1969 SGOURING PAD Filed Nov. 9, 1966 INVENTOR. W ,9. 2

United States Patent 3,434,177 SCOURING PAD Robert D. Parry, 7240 Algonquin, Cincinnati, Ohio 45234 Filed Nov. 9, 1966, Ser. No. 593,055 Int. Cl. A471 17/08, 17/06 US. Cl. 15-209 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to scouring pads. More particularly, this invention relates to a scouring pad and holder as well as to a method for manufacturing such a pad.

The primary objective of this invention has been to provide an improved type of scouring pad and holder. Toward this end, the scouring pad of this invention includes a plurality of fabric layers, preferably circular in shape, held together at their centers by suitable fastening means. The fabric layers are each preferably formed from an open mesh or net-like fabric, commonly known as tulle. The holder includes a handle and a confining or mounting cup that flares outwardly and downwardly from one end of the handle. Attaching means are associated with the pad and holder for maintaining the pad in operable engagement with the confining cup. As the scouring pad is operatively engaged with the mounting cup, the cup confines and shapes the fabric layers into a conical configuration whereby the ends of the fabric layers are presented in a cleaning attitude.

The scouring pad of this invention has a number of advantages over scouring pads presently known to the art. For example, the scouring pad is very simple and easy to clean because the pad need merely be disengaged from the holder. The fabric layers of the pad, because they are not held to one another, except at their center, may be flattened and separated one from the other for a thorough and complete cleansing. It has been found that the pad may be cleaned satisfactorily by placing it in an inverted coffee cup in an automatic dishwasher such that it is exposed to the cleansing action of the dishwater spray.

The scouring pad is also useful for scouring pots, pans, and other items coated with Teflon. By proper selection of the pad fabric, and because the cut ends of the fabric present a multiplicity of tiny cleaning ends to the surface to be cleaned, a scouring pad is provided that will not scratch Teflon coated items.

In addition, the stiffness of the scouring pad may be varied, the stiffness being dependent on the extent to which the scouring pad is confined within the mounting cup.

The method of manufacturing the scouring pad is one of the primary features of this invention. The method includes the steps of providing a stack or plurality of open net fabric layers; placing the center of the stack of fabric layers in a mold cavity carried by a mold; thereafter bringing an injection molding head into operational engagement with the mold CZUVllZY; and injection fabric layer stack.

The method of this invention permits the manufacturing cost for the scouring pad and holder to be maintained at a minimum. This is because, in part, the method of manufacturing lends itself to automated production techniques. Such relatively low production costs permit the scouring pad and holder to either directly compete for consumer acceptance or to be given away as a sales promotion item.

Other objectives and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the descritpion thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of the scouring pad and holder combination incorporating the principles of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a partially cut away side view showing engagement of the scouring pad with the holder;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective side view showing the scouring pad in the open condition;

FIGURE 4 is a cross sectional view showing the method of forming the scouring pad according to the principles of this invention;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary top view of one fabric layer useful with the scouring pad.

The preferred embodiment of the scouring pad and holder of this invention, as depicted in FIGURE 1, includes a holder 9 and a scouring pad 110. The elongated holder 9 is provided with a handle 11 having ribs 12 toward its upper end for structural rigidity. A mounting or confining cup 13 is provided integral with the bottom end of the handle 11. The mounting cup 13 flares downwardly and outwardly from. the bottom end of the handle 11 and is for confining and shaping the scouring pad .10 into its operational position. The confining cup 13 is preferably conical in shape. The cup 13, as seen in FIGURE 2, communicates with a threaded channel 14 formed in the lower end of the handle 10.

The scouring pad 10 is formed from a plurality of fabric layers, the fabric layers 17 preferably being held together at their center by a stud 18 molded through the layers 17. The stud 18 has a head 19 which extend-s through the layers and maintains them as a single unit, and a threaded stem 20 which is molded integral with the head. The scouring pad fabric 17 is preferably a tulle fabric that will not scratch the Teflon coating of, for example, a Teflon coated pan, when the pan is being cleaned with the scouring pad. Preferably the layers of tulle are out into circular shape, thereby providing a multiplicity of fabric ends 22 at the edge of each fabric layer, see FIGURE 5. A typical preferred tulle fabric is one woven from nylon and dipped in a suitable bath to maintain the shape of the tulle mesh.

In operation, the fabric layers of the scouring pad are bunched or folded together in a cone-like form and the stem 20 is then threadably engaged with the channel 14 in the handle 11. The confining cup 13 shapes and maintains the scouring pad in a downwardly flaring position so that the multiplicity of cut fabric ends 22 are exposable to a cleaning surface 23, see FIGURE 1. The scouring pad 10 and holder 9 may thus be effectively used to clean, for example, a pan 24.

The stiffness of the scouring pad 10, as it is held within the confining cup 13, depends on the degree of confinement of the scouring pad within the confining cup. That is, the greater the portion of the pad confined within the cup 13, the stiffer will be that portion of the scouring pad presented to the cleaning surface.

The scouring pad 10 may be readily removed from the holder 9 by merely disengaging the stud 18 from the handle 11. Because a plurality of fabric layers 17 are used to form the scouring pad 10, the layers being separated 3 one from the other at all points except at their center, the scouring pad is readily cleanable and, therefore, reusable.

The method of forming the scouring pad 10, according to the principles of this invention, includes the steps of providing a mold core 27 having a mold cavity 28 therein, see FIGURE 4. The mold core 27 carries two pointed projections 29. The center of a stack of fabric layers 17, sufficient to form a scouring pad 10, is then placed in juxtaposition to the mold cavity and substantially restrained from movement with respect thereto by means of the pointed projections 29. Subsequently, a molding head 30 is brought into engagement with the mold core 27. The molding head 30 is provided with an inlet conduit 31 and a cavity 32 which cooperates with the cavity 28 in the mold core 27 to form the stud 18 configuration. A charge of a suitable plastic is injection molded through the molding head 30 into the mold core cavity 28, the plastic passing through the fabric mesh. The plastic charge is suflicient to fill not only the stationary mold core cavity 28, but also to fill the molding head cavity 32, thereby providing a continuous stud 18 that maintains the plurality of fabric layers 17 in operational engagement. Preferably, the stud is injection molded with a polypropylene plastic when nylon tulle is employed. This is because the melting point of the polypropylene is less than the melting point of the tulle fabric, thereby permitting the polypropylene to pass through the stack of nylon rtulle layers and intimately connect each layer to all other layers.

What I desire to claim and protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A scouring pad and holder comprising, in combination:

a handle,

a confining cup flaring downwardly and outwardly in substantially conical configuration from one end of said handle,

a stack of fabric layers, each of said layers having a multiplicity of fabric ends and being separate one from the other except toward their centers,

fastening means associated only with the center of each fabric layer for forming a pad of said stacked fabric layers, and

attaching means associated with said scouring pad and said holder for selectively permitting said pad to be at least partially retained within and substantially 4 conformed to the configuration of said cup to bunch the ends of said layers together in a cleaning attitude at a work surface and for selectively permitting said pad \to be withdrawn from said cup to provide adequate cleaning thereof through separation of said fabric layers one from the other except where joined together by said fastening means.

2. An article as set forth in claim 1 wherein said fabric layers are tulle.

3. An article as set forth in claim 2 wherein said tulle is made from a fiber that will not scratch Teflon coatmgs.

4. An article as set forth in claim 1 wherein said fastening means and said attaching means comprise:

a stud molded through said fabric layers, said stud having a threaded stem, and

a threaded channel within said handle communicating with the inside of said confining cup, said threaded stem being receivable in said threaded channel.

5. An article as set forth in claim 1 wherein each fabric layer is substantially circular in configuration.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 770,588 9/1904 Koch 15-209 2,433,695 12/ 1947 Hoffman 15-20951 3,060,478 10/ 1962 Silver 15-20951 3,336,618 8/1967 Day 15-209 3,342,533 9/1967 Engel et a1. 300-21 3,343,196 9/1967 Barnhouse 15-209 FOREIGN PATENTS 728,335 4/ 1955 Great Britain.

950,702 2/ 1964 Great Britain.

979,063 1/ 1965 Great Britain.

993,223 7/ 1 France.

1,340,913 9/ 1963 France.

47,619 7/1918 Sweden.

WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner.

L. G. MACHLIN, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 15-104.l6 

